Dinosaur Zoo

Kids pestering you for a pet? Tide them over with Dinosaur Zoo, an app built for dino-crazy kids. Feed Pterodactyls, avoid a Monolophosaurus, study prehistoric maps and go over recent paleontology discoveries with this app. Your child can choose exactly which kids of dinosaurs he wants in his dino sanctuary, and he doesn't have to pick from the same old lineup of T-rex, Apatosaurus, and pterodactyl (though they're represented, too)—Dinosaur Zoo delves fearlessly into the diverse world of dinosaurs, offering lesser-known breeds like Nemegtosaurus, Kentrosaurus, Muttaburrasaurus, and a whole ton of other –sauri for your kid to feed, play with, and even, um, clean up after. Tapping the silhouette button at the bottom of each ‘exhibit' brings up an extensive fact file on each dinosaur, showing where the dinosaur lived, what the world looked like at the time, and up-to-date information from expert paleontologists.

Though it hits on some high-level concepts, all the language is straightforward and easy to understand without being too cutesy or patronizing to kids. Overall, this app is a fantastic merging of fun and education that just might awaken the latent paleontologist in you, too.